Kanye West Sued by Photographer After Throwing Her Phone – Report
Kanye West is being sued by a photographer after he grabbed her phone and threw it in the street.
According to a TMZ report, published on Thursday (June 1), a photographer named Nichol Lechmanik is suing Kanye West for assault, battery and negligence. This is related to a January 2023 incident in which the rapper-producer grabbed her phone and threw it in the street during a heated argument. In her lawsuit, Lechmanik asserts that Ye was aggressively confronting a paparazzo and searching through his pockets. She alleges that she was concerned that the Grammy-winning producer may have been carrying a weapon.
When Kanye noticed her phone was out, he approached her car. Lechmanik alleges in her suit that she was terrified when Kanye approached her while she was recording him with her phone in the driver’s seat of her car. She states that he began yelling at her, “You all ain’t gonna run up on me like that!” He also added, “If I say stop, stop with your cameras.”
That’s when Kanye ripped her phone out of her hands and tossed it in oncoming traffic. The incident was also captured on video by Lechmanik’s business partner who recorded it from her passenger seat. Lechmanik alleges that the Donda creator flashed a “death stare” at them as well.
Subsequently, Lechmanik reported the incident to the Sheriff’s Department. She stated that the encounter caused her to feel traumatized and humiliated. Additionally, she claims that she lost earnings because she was unable to work on the job as a photographer and taking pictures of celebrities.
It’s unclear if Lechmanik is seeking any monetary damages. However, she is requesting an injunction to prevent Kanye from physically touching or harassing not only herself but any other photographer.